Page 75 - ITU Kaleidoscope 2016

QUALITY AND STANDARDIZATION IN TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED
LEARNING

2
1
3
Irina Tal , Eva Ibarrola , Gabriel-Miro Muntean

1
Dublin City University, irina.tal2@mail.dcu.ie
2
University of the Basque Country-UPV/EHU, eva.ibarrola@ehu.eus
3
Dublin City University, gabriel.muntean@dcu.ie

ABSTRACT Nevertheless, as stated in [5]: “With the growing level of
functional sophistication of services and systems, quality
Education and technological advances have enabled digital evaluation has become progressively more complex,
learning technologies to become a key pillar holding up notably due to the exponentially mounting number of
one of the main United Nations Sustainable Development dimensions involved. While some services and systems
Goals (SDGs): Quality Education. Technology-enhanced involve a small number of technologies, functional
learning strategies have led to innovative ICT applications capabilities, sensory dimensions and consuming paths,
for the development of new improved learning and teaching other applications are an explosive cocktail of
practices aiding to guarantee inclusive and equitable technologies, capabilities, navigation courses and
quality education and promote opportunities for all. sensations. These growing application scenarios involve
Nonetheless, there is still a big challenge to get hold of all larger user susceptibility, not only to the degree of usability
the capabilities of these technology-enhanced learning of the overall system but also to the content itself”.
strategies: improving the learner quality of experience Therefore, the target of evaluating QoE to enhance the
(QoE). This paper presents an innovative technology- learner experience when using, for example, new
enhanced learning initiative that aims to attract students to mulsemedia (Multiple Sensorial Media Advances and
STEM education and improve access for students with Applications) technology-enhance learning applications [6,
disabilities through the analysis of the learner QoE. 7] may become a really hard task.
Moreover, in this paper some of the required standards and Even though some standardization activities related to
specifications to be used for developing this initiative are general technology-enhanced learning have been defined
identified. Another key contribution of the paper is that it [4] (in particular for mobile technologies and video), there
explores the necessity of new related standards and is still a need to fulfill the gap of novel standards to define
introduces some novel proposals for standardization in this frameworks and procedures for the QoE evaluation of
area. these new multimedia and mulsemedia TEL applications
and systems.
Keywords— Technology-enhanced learning, QoE, In this paper, it is presented an initiative, NEWTON project
mulsemedia, standardization. [8], that aims to develop, integrate and disseminate
innovative TEL methods and tools. The main goal of this
1. INTRODUCTION project is to create new or inter-connect existing state-of-
the art teaching labs and to build a pan-European learning
The convergence of education and technological network platform. Next generation TEL methods are aimed
innovations are motivating digital learning to become one to be integrated in the NEWTON platform that relate to
of the most significant models in all the teaching and gamification, augmented reality, mulsemedia, and adaptive
learning environments. In addition, the rapid advance of multimedia. The project will be tested and validated in real
new multidimensional applications and services, with new life pilots across Europe, using a network of secondary
and modern functional facilities, like multisensory schools, vocational establishments and third level institutes.
dimensions or augmented reality, drive growth in new One of the initial pilots that will be carried out in the
technology-enhanced learning (TEL) strategies with context of this project is presented in more details in this
significant capabilities to improve the quality and outcomes paper. This pilot study will be carried out in November
of teaching and learning. However, in order to make a 2016, in the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
whole of all the features and capabilities of these novel Since the platform aims to integrate also others already
digital learning systems, it is crucial to analyze and enhance existing teaching labs, it is a key target of the project to
the learner QoE/. develop the system complying with the existing standards
A lot of studies and research have been carried out during in this area. For that reason, a revision of the most
the past years to define QoE evaluation methods [1, 2] and important related standards that should be taken into
also to define and validate related standards [3, 4]. account when designing, testing and deploying the platform

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